Yo-yo dieting may not be so bad after all

WASHINGTON – Yo-yo dieting, the act of repeatedly and quickly losing and gaining weight, doesn’t impact future weight loss in women who’ve gone through menopause, a new study finds.

The study, published in the journal Metabolism – Clinical and Experimental, reviewed 439 overweight, inactive and postmenopausal women.

The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center conducted the study and concluded that a history of yo-yo diets won’t negatively impact a postmenopausal woman’s ability to lose weight long term.

“A history of unsuccessful weight loss should not dissuade an individual from future attempts to shed pounds or diminish the role of a healthy diet and regular physical activity in successful weight management,” the study’s senior author Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D., said in a release.

Read more on the study in Metabolism.

WTOP’s Randi Martin contributed to this report. Follow WTOP on Twitter.

(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

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